Camscanner back on Google Play Store after being removed due to trojan dropper malware

Camscanner has restored the app on Google Play Store after it was briefly removed. You can now download and use it.

CamScanner, the popular document scanning app downloaded by over 100 million people, was removed by Google from the Play Store. The app was reportedly distributing malware on smart devices. Security researchers from Kaspersky Lab revealed in its recent vulnerability report that Camscanner has been carrying malware. Now, the company has fixed the issues and it is back on the Play Store.

Camscanner now available to download

The new app has version number 5.12.5. Camscanner also tweeted about it saying the app is back on Play Store and that it is now safe to use. For those unaware, it is a popular photo-scanning app that allows users to create PDF and has OCR capabilities.

Reason for removal of Camscanner

The security firm found a malware module identified as ‘Trojan-Dropper.AndroidOS.Necro.n’. This particular malware has been previously spotted in few apps that came pre-installed on some Chinese smartphones. The researchers also noted that the app is called by different names such as Phone PDF Creator and CamScanner-Scanner.

CamScanner was quick to acknowledge that the module was present in the advertisement SDK. The infected app carries version number 5.11.7. The SDK was provided by third-party called AdHub. It was trying to create unauthorized ad clicks. The company removed all the ad SDKs were not certified by Google Play with the new release. The malware was only found in the Android version whereas the iOS version is not infected in any way.

Google’s inability to detect malware

The Camscanner app row proves Google’s inability to keep malware-ridden away from users. In the past few months alone, the company has removed a number of apps. However, it has done so after it was highlighted by a security research firm. Check Point Software Technologies recently showed how Agent Smith malware affected over 25 million Android devices. Around 15 million of these devices are in India.

Google Play Store is the safest way to download applications. However, the recent events have proved that it is not 100 percent safe, after all. And this is where Google needs to look at.